Soul Surgery by H.A. Walter, M.A. - Sixth Edition from 1940

Soul Surgery: Some Thoughts on Incisive Personal Work

by H. A. Walter, M.A.
Sixth Edition — 1940
Oxford Group

Description

This is the Sixth Edition (1940) of Soul Surgery: Some Thoughts on Incisive Personal Work by H. A. Walter, a significant and influential text associated with the Oxford Group, the Christian movement that deeply shaped early 20th-century spiritual practice and later influenced the foundations of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Written as a practical manual rather than a theological treatise, Soul Surgery focuses on the Oxford Group’s concept of “personal work”—the intentional, one-on-one spiritual guidance aimed at helping individuals confront moral failings, experience spiritual awakening, and commit to meaningful change.

Walter approaches this work with clarity and directness, offering a structured framework for spiritual mentoring that emphasizes honesty, accountability, and reliance on divine guidance. The book was widely used within Oxford Group circles and became an important bridge between evangelical spirituality and later recovery-based personal transformation models.

About the Book

In Soul Surgery, Walter outlines a methodical approach to helping others engage in deep personal and spiritual examination. Key themes include:

• The discipline of attentive listening and genuine understanding

• Establishing trust and confidentiality as the foundation of spiritual work

• Thoughtful questioning designed to encourage moral inventory and self-examination

• The central role of prayer in seeking guidance and direction

• Translating spiritual insight into concrete action and behavioral change

These principles closely parallel concepts later formalized within Alcoholics Anonymous—particularly moral inventory, admission of defects, spiritual reliance, and making amends—making this book especially relevant to collectors of pre-AA and early recovery-influencing literature.

Historical & Spiritual Significance

The Oxford Group played a crucial role in shaping the spiritual environment from which Alcoholics Anonymous emerged. Texts like Soul Surgery provide rare insight into the practical methods used by the movement—methods that directly informed early AA thinking, even when later adapted into a more inclusive and non-sectarian framework.

As such, this book occupies an important place in the lineage of recovery and spiritual self-examination literature.

Physical Details & Condition

Format: Paperback

Edition: Sixth Edition (1940)

Condition: Very Good. Minor wear and fading to the cover, consistent with age. Handwriting present on the first and last pages. No additional markings, writing, or underlining inside. Pages intact and readable.

Please review all photographs carefully for an accurate representation of condition.

Collector Notes

Early and mid-century Oxford Group publications are increasingly difficult to find, particularly in solid, complete condition. This Sixth Edition represents a later printing of an influential work that helped shape modern approaches to spiritual accountability and personal transformation.

An excellent addition for collectors of Oxford Group material, early recovery history, or the spiritual roots of Alcoholics Anonymous.